Finally, some Christmas quilt tops!

This is another challenge from Victoria at 15 Minutes Play.  It is 22" x 24".  To read more about how I made it, head to this page. If you scroll through the site, you will see some other very wonderful pieces made in this challenge.

This is a start from another 15 Minute challenge from a year ago.  I pulled it out again and changed out the center.  I am loving the Santa.  He looks like he is thinking hard, so I may have to add some embroidered thoughts in the green space.  I will be adding more made fabric to the top and the bottom.  It will be a wall hanging when done.

This is my favorite piece.  I saw this wall hanging on a blog a long while ago.  I fell in love with it, so I asked about the pattern.  I was told it was an old pattern by Betty Alderman Designs called Old St. Nick.  I collect Santa's, so I went on a quest to find it.  I was able to purchase it on Ebay, and finally found the right fabrics for it this year.  In the original pattern, the bag is made of patchwork.  I had this paisley I just had to use. The original pattern also has stars in the borders and on the Santa.  I am not sure I will add those.  I haven't quilted it yet, or done the machine applique stitches, but I am so excited about getting it this far, I just had to share.

To all of you who celebrate holidays this season, I wish you all the best and joyous of days.

Joyful quilting, everyone.

 

 

First Sunday inDecember

I added the applique pieces to this piece and I like it a little better.  I am hoping that I will be inspired to do a great job quilting it.  It needs feathers or something.  It will be a great practice piece.  It is a good thing I have some of this challenge fabric left to try again.

As part of our Univera team, our group does charity stockings each December.  In addition to the fancy soaps and hand lotions I have collected this year, I decided to make some small pouches to be included.  I used fabric I had on hand.  These are fun and easy to make, just time consuming.  I do wish I would get faster at these things, but I guess I need more practice.

My most recent project is this Christmas small quilt.  I started with my scraps in my Christmas fabric bin and created these nine patches.

Then I cut them to create a disappearing nine patch, one of my favorite patterns.

Finally, I searched for and found this wonderful angel pattern by Erin Russek.  I changed it up a little, but not too much.  I am still deciding whether or not to add eyes.  I always worry that I will do it wrong and ruin the overall effect.  I am very happy with how this came out.  I really like the fabrics I found to use in the background, and I think the angel is so sweet.  I found this pattern a long time ago, and almost forgot about it.  If you love it, you can still find it at http://erinrussek.typepad.com/one-piece-at-a-time/2011/10/celebrate-christmas-quilt-a-long.html.

That is pretty much what I have been up to this week in the studio.  I hope you all have been enjoying your week.  Joyful quilting, everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

I am back

Since summer ended and I started spending three days a week with my wonderful granddaughter, I have had trouble getting into a regular studio routine.  Once I think I have it, other things seem to interfere like work that pays, visiting family, and whatever pops up.  Now, I am trying to establish a regular block of studio time.  Today, I was happily working in my studio, and got quite a bit done.

I am making progress on my small quilt for my Quilters, Books, and Bindings group.  I have added the stems, leaves, and started adding the flowers.  I decided to put a border on it so I could bring a couple of flowers out further.  At this point, it is all hand work waiting.  I will do that in the evenings or while Bella is napping.

I also worked on my Christmas quilt.  I couldn't resist adding the red and white as a border around the Virgin.  I started making several more blocks to help this quilt grow.  I am not sure how big I want it.  I guess I will keep making fabric until I run out of the fabric I am using.

Speaking of making fabric - I made the flowers for the top quilt out of some of my favorite Kaffe fabrics in my stash.  I decided to make some fabric using the left over pieces from the flowers.  I liked it so much, I have decided to make enough to make all the BOMs at the 15 Minute Play site so I will have a sampler quilt done by December 1.  I think I will pick up one of the blues for the background fabric in the blocks.  I am pretty excited about it.  I love the colors in these fabrics and I think they will make a fantastic quilt.  I just have to make lots of fabric.
My new schedule will have me in my studio Friday through Monday most weeks.  Those will be the days I post on the blog, as well.  Next weekend will be another exception, however.  I have my nephew's wedding and out of town family to spend time with.  In the mean time, I plan on posting tomorrow and Monday. 
Have a joy filled Sunday, everyone.

Making more fabric

The first thing I worked on this morning was my challenge from Modern 8 Create.  I had to build another block like the second one I did.  As I was putting together the quadrants, I had a brainstorm about adding the inner border pieces as I went.  When I had all the quadrants together, I started playing with them and found at least four ways to put the block together.  Instead of choosing just one of them, I am going to make them all using different shades of the blues, purples, and greens.  I can even see more ways to change these blocks.  When they are all done, they will make an interesting quilt.

The second project was to finish Tom's birthday present.  I will post it here on Wednesday, after he opens it.  I sure hope he likes it.

After that, I started making fabric for the background for a small quilt.  Over at Quilters, Books, and Bindings, we all just finished The Lover's Knot by Clare O'Donohue.  Each of us is creating our own quilt that interprets the book, or some aspect of the story, in our own way.  My quilt will have flowers growing out of the red area.  Cathy did a wonderful AAQI quilt representing a place in the story.  This group is new, but I think it will grow as we read and post more.



As I started looking at the red, green, and gold made fabric blocks for my Christmas quilt, I had an idea about putting the Virgin of Guadalupe in the center.  I think I really like it.  I will leave it there as I continue to build fabric blocks.  I think she will add quite a bit to the quilt.

All in all, it has been a good day in the studio.  I have another studio day tomorrow.  Who knows what will happen then.  In the mean time, joyful quilting, everyone.